Wildlife: Dragonflies

Caught this picture of a Dragonfly on our deck.. They really are beautiful creatures

By Jo from Kamloops, B.C.

Answers:

Wildlife: Dragonflies

When I was a child, we called them either Mosquito Hawks or Mosquito Hogs. I never was able to differentiate the pronunciation. Anyone know which? (08/28/2009)

By Leslie Textor

Wildlife: Dragonflies

They are beautiful critters. Where I live they like to deposit eggs? or something? on my cars. (08/28/2009)

By Kerry Browning

Wildlife: Dragonflies

We always called the big ones Mosquito Hawks too :) However there is another insect known as the Mosquito Hawk and those are the Crane Flies. They look like very LARGE Mosquitoes. Now these ones we liked to call Skeeter Eaters LOL!

Back home (ND) you could often see a good 40 of the Dragonfly "Mosquito Hawks" flying overhead at dusk eating mosquitoes in flight. My fondest memory of dragonflies was down by the Niobrara River in north-central Nebraska. These two beautiful Blue Dasher Dragonflies were mating and were in the shape of a heart! The ones I'm referring to are the more delicate "petite" dragonflies...not nearly as hefty as "Mosquito Hawks"!

Here a pic of a Mosquito Hawk (Eight-Spotter Skimmer) that came to visit my prairie garden last year. It was very attracted to the Blue Flax and didn't mind me working around it one bit. He even walked on to my hand and stayed perched there long enough for me to go indoors to grab the camera phone for this pic and then walk all the way back to where I found him for another pic in the Flax! What a patient little fellow LOL! Sorry about the poor quality and thanks for sharing the pic with us :) (08/31/2009)

By Vera